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November 20th, 2013

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that they have signed free agent guards Elliot Williams and Lorenzo Brown.

Williams (6-5, 190) was an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Memphis and was selected with the 22nd overall pick by Portland. He played his freshman season at Duke. Williams appeared in 24 games for the Trail Blazers in 2011-12 and saw action in six games for Cleveland this preseason.

Brown (6-5, 186) was an early entry candidate for the 2013 NBA Draft following his junior season at N.C. State and was selected with the 52nd overall pick by Minnesota. He participated for the Timberwolves in both the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and in the preseason. Brown started 95 of his 101 games played with the Wolfpack and was named Second Team All-ACC as a junior and Third Team as a sophomore.

In a related move, the Sixers have waived Kwame Brown and Darius Morris.

While the NBA world and especially Chicago Bulls fans are happy that Derrick Rose is back in action, so far in this still-new season the former league MVP hasn’t played especially well. He’s shot tons of bricks, and is still returning to form. Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting:

Tom Thibodeau doesn’t go out on limbs. There’s little gray or ‘‘what if.’’ So when discussing Derrick Rose on Tuesday, the Bulls coach was very matter-of-fact.

‘‘Derrick will be Derrick very shortly,’’ he said.

But what if he’s not? What if, after surgery and a long rehabilitation for his torn anterior cruciate ligament, this is the new Rose — a 34-percent-shooting, 15-points-a-game guard? What if he’s just another NBA player in a sea of upper-echelon talent who doesn’t quite make the cut into elite?

What if Rose being an MVP, as he was in 2011, is a case of days gone by?

It’s not a scenario that Thibodeau deems realistic.

‘‘You’ve got to remember, the guy has been out 18 months,’’ Thibodeau said.

Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace has been fined $10,000 for using profane language during his postgame media availability session following the Celtics’ 109-85 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at Toyota Center, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz forward Marvin Williams, who suffered a fractured nose during the first half of the Jazz’s November 15 game vs. San Antonio and has played in each of the two subsequent Jazz games:

Williams did not accompany the team Tuesday to New Orleans, remaining in Salt Lake City to be fitted for a customized protective face mask. Following a medical consultation, it was determined that Williams will undergo a procedure to reduce the nasal fracture on Thursday in Salt Lake City. The outpatient procedure will be performed by Dr. Demetrios Skedros.

Williams will miss the Jazz’s game Wednesday at New Orleans, but is expected to re-join the team and be available for Friday’s game at Dallas.

Williams (6-9, 237, North Carolina) has played in seven games for the Jazz in 2013-14, averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. The 27-year-old Jazzman was originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round (second overall selection) of the 2005 NBA Draft, and has appeared in 567 career games (430 starts) and owns averages of 10.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assist in 29.5 minutes. He was acquired by the Jazz in a trade with the Hawks in exchange for guard Devin Harris on July 11, 2012.

After an underachieving start, the Nets used all kinds of adjectives to describe the mood around the team, and none of them were good. Paul Pierce went with angry, Kevin Garnett said dismal and even the normally taciturn Brook Lopez admitted they were disappointed in themselves.

The Nets (3-7) arguably are the biggest disappointment in the NBA, having dropped five of six, including a Monday loss to Portland that had rookie coach Jason Kidd trying to shoulder the blame. It’s misguided and overly simple; there is far too much blame to go around, and far too much misery as well.

“Dismal. No one’s happy about how we’re playing. No one likes the current state. But everybody’s willing and committed towards changing it. The way you change it is through work, and that’s what we’re doing,’’ Garnett said. “The blame’s on all of us. It’s not just on Jason. You can’t put the [blame] all on him. We’re players who obviously have to be professional, come out here and do our jobs.’’